Boston Weekend. 4th of July.

By Victoria@celebratetheweekend

In At Home in Boston

Jun 26th, 2015

21 Comments

13505 Views

I might be biased, but there is a hardly a better place to experience everything that 4th of July weekend has to offer than in and around Boston. Here are just some ideas for you on where to take your family next weekend in Boston, Rhode Island and Western Massachusetts.

This Fourth of July Festival runs July 1 through July 5 and showcases our colonial and maritime heritage. With over 200 events planned in Boston’s City Hall Plaza and waterfront (concerts, tours, Naval ship visits and even a chowder fest!) you are sure to find your family’s favorite. Use this link for a full schedule of Harborfest.

2. Try to Find a Spot during Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. July 3rd and 4th, Boston’s Charles River Esplanade.

This is Maestro Keith Lockhart’s 20th anniversary as conductor of both the Pops and the July 4 concert (8:30pm-10:30pm). This year the Pops are joined by Broadway performer Michael Cavanaugh; American Idol finalist Melinda Doolittle; Boston-based quartet, the Sons of Serendip; the Boston Crusaders drum and bugle corps; gospel singer and The Voice contestant Michelle Brooks-Thompson, and the USO Show Troupe.

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular will of course conclude with a 21-minute pyrotechnic extravaganza.

Check out event’s webpage for more information (including on what NOT to bring) and arrive early (before noon!) with your picnic blanket and sunscreen to find a good spot to sit (or stand!).

You may have much better luck with seating during The Pops’ July 3rd Dress Rehearsal Concert 8:30pm-10pm (no fireworks following July 3rd concert).

3. Enjoy Free Admission and Festivities atBoston Children’s Museum on July 3rd– as part of Free Fun Fridays Project. There will be music, live animal presentations, and sidewalk games outside the Museum – as well as the “usual” family friendly exhibits inside the Museum.

In the BERKSHIRES (approximately a 2-hour drive from Boston in Western Massachusetts)

4. Connect your kids with the music at Tanglewood Family Concert on July 4th in Ozawa Hall.

This special performance designed for kids ages 3-8 and their families is called A Brass Carnival and is featuring members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s brass section and an Instrumental Playground for young concert goers. Instrument Playground will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the concert to take place at 11 a.m. (Free admission for kids 17 and under, $11 for adults. )Tickets can be purchased at the Tanglewood Box Office, online at www.tanglewood.org, or through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200.

There will be fireworks following the evening’s James Taylor concert (on July 4th); while that concert is sold out, you could still find a spot around the Stockbridge Bowl to watch the fireworks).

6. Attend the Nation’s Oldest Continuous 4th of July Celebration in Bristol.

We discovered this summer gem (about an hour drive South of Boston) and its famous East Bay Bike Path just last weekend.

Bristol’s Annual Fourth of July Celebration, (established in 1785), is held at Independence Park on Thames Street on Bristol Harbor. Here is a link to more information on Bristol’s Celebration. Bristol’s fireworks start around 9:30pm.

21 Comments
to “Boston Weekend. 4th of July.”

Oh wow, there really is a lot to do! I just recently returned from Cape Cod, MA and am sad I won’t be around for 4th of July events. I also am really interested in visiting Newport Rhode Island! Maybe next time 😉

The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular must be quite something, Victoria. I’d love to be there for a 4th of July, but now that my son moved from Connecticut there is very little chance. Your little daughter is so cute, I can’t help looking at her pictures when you post them online. Thanks for joining me this week for #TheWeeklyPostcard.

What a great list! We haven’t been to the fireworks on the esplanade for years, because I don’t like crowds, but it’s worth seeing at least once in your lifetime. Where I live (central Massachusetts) the locals like to take their kids to the Fruitlands Museum fireworks. It’s usually the day before, and earlier than the Boston fireworks.

What a great place to celebrate the 4th. I feel so patriotic just going through the list of activities here. It makes me wish I was vacationing there instead. The Boston Harborfest sounds so fun! Happy 4th and hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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Hi! I am Victoria and I invite you to follow me to sporting and cultural events, on city walks and through the natural wonders – near my family's home in New England and around the world! Read more about me and this website here.